President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday April 24, launched Phase II of the Volta River Authority's (VRA) Kaleo solar power plant, which has a capacity of 15MWp.
This phase brings the total capacity of the Kaleo plant to 28MWp. In October 2020, the president also commissioned Phase I of the project. The solar power plant is expected to increase VRA's power generation capacity and reduce the nation's carbon emissions.
Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Minister, praised the government for the project in his welcome remarks. He stated that the project would improve the quality of power supply in the region and promote socio-economic development.
“The benefits of this laudable project extend far beyond mere numbers. By enhancing the quality of power supply in the Upper West Region, we are not only ensuring a more reliable energy grid but also fostering socio-economic development.”
Kofi Tutu Agyare, the Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority, stated that the Kaleo solar power plant project aligns with Ghana's Renewable Energy Development program.
“As Board Chairman, it gives me great joy to witness the confirmation of the Authority’s commitment to increase our renewable energy footprints, particularly at this time, as the country strives to achieve decarbonisation, energy access, energy security and energy efficiency, in line with measures to address climate change and its negative impacts.”
He further mentioned that the VRA, along with its partners, is determined to assist the government in achieving the national goal of installing 150GW of solar energy by the year 2060.
“Together with the Ministry of Energy and our sister institutions in the electricity value chain, we are poised to help government achieve the national energy transition goal of installing some 150GW of Solar generation by the year 2060.”
President Akufo-Addo during the project commissioning stated that it would boost investment and improve the quality of power supply in the Upper West Region.
He noted that the commissioning of the “solar power plant is not just about providing electricity, it represents also a fundamental shift towards sustainable development.”
He mentioned that Renewable energy sources such as solar power help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
The project was funded by KfW, the German Development Bank, to the tune of €17.8million. The cost of the 15MW Kaleo solar power project is estimated at €16million with VRA providing counterpart funding of about GH₵30million.
The project was executed by Elecnor S.A. from Spain, with Tractebel Engineering from Germany as the consultant.